Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced Tuesday that the national security forces will take over the security responsibility from NATO-led force.
"Afghan National Security Forces will notably take full security responsibility of provinces of Kabul except Sarobi district, Bamyan and Panjshir as well as cities of Mazar-i-Sharif, Lashkar Gah, Herat and Mehterlam," Karzai said in his speech delivered to army officers at National Military Academy here.
According to Karzai the first phase of security transition will begin in the month of Saratan, the fourth month of Afghan 1390 year, which covers the last 20 days of June and the first 10 days of July.
Describing the handover of security to Afghan forces as a very important and critical process, the Afghan president added that the process of transferring security from provincial capitals would be expanded to districts.
"Transition is not an easy task but Afghans do not want others to be responsible for security and defence of their country," he said. "Security and defence must be handed over to Afghans. Transition is the right of Afghans, so it must happen and it is an irreversible process."
However, Karzai said to make the transition a successful process the international partners must stand firm on commitments agreed in an international conference on Afghanistan last July, including channelling aid through Afghan government.
"To make the security assuming course a successful practice, Afghanistan's economy must develop and we demand the international community continue to support a handful of major development projects in the country," Karzai noted.
Karzai's declaration comes after his government and NATO-led force agreed last year in a summit in Lisbon to end combat operations in militancy-hit Afghanistan and start handing over security charge to Afghan army and police, shifting the U.S. and NATO-led troops to a supportive role.
The process of taking over security from over 140,000-strong NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) by Afghan troops would be completed by the end of 2014, according to President Karzai.
The Afghan President also once again called on Taliban to give up militancy and joint the peace process.